Review by Joe Harvey
So many elements go into making a great record, and if one of those elements happens to be substandard, it can taint the entire project. Unfortunately for The Blackout Argument, there is one consistent element that keeps me from wanting to become a fan, and that is the vocals.
I was intrigued by this band for a few reasons - the band name and the name/song titles on this release. The naming of the tracks is very clever.
"Tempest (Rescue Remedy)", the opening track on the album, had me immediately nodding my head. But as soon as the second song, "Broken Teeth (Agrimony)" kicked in, I was immediately taken aback by the vocals. They sound very amateur and unpleasant most of the time. There are few moments where the tone somehow works and sounds ok, but that is rare.
The music (instrumentally) is great. It has parts which are heavy and aggressive, and other parts that are more catchy/2-step material. But like mentioned earlier, the vocals that overlay everything are not a good fit, rendering the music as a whole somewhat unenjoyable, but like also mentioned earlier, some songs work better than others. Unfortunately, though, most of them do not.
I tried to like The Blackout Argument, but this one component (the vocals), perhaps the most important and usually most noticeable, hindered me from doing so.
Level of Consciousness
5 out of 10... Although much of the The Blackout Argument's instrumental work is pleasing, much of the vocal effort is unfortunately dissatisfactory.
For more information on The Blackout Argument:
Official Site
Myspace